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In church work, we are always working ahead, so this Christmas carol has been in my head for days. I think mostly because the idea of a still and hushed world feels like a dream. It is two weeks before the election, our lives are inundated with political ads that tell us only the worst of the world, and tension lives even among people who are voting for the same people.
Several First Lutheran organizations including the Knitters, First Helping Hands, Quilters, F.L.Y., Caring Cards and Preschool received the ELCA ministries grants.
At First Lutheran, giving is up 4.5% as compared to last year at this same time. In-person attendance is up, as compared to last year as well. Recently, two separate large legacy gifts were given (stay tuned for details) that allow us to bring on youth ministry staff as well as new music ministries staff—including a new choir director, Cori Vought-Carey. Cori hopes to lead a September-May senior choir that sings all but one Sunday a month. We’re also able to ask her to create something new: a Youth Choir for 5th–8th graders who will rehearse most weeks and sing in worship once a month.
When I was a new pastor, I had a friend who would always try to find the best possible way to explain someone else’s behavior. She would, as we came to call it, eighth commandment something. It was annoying a good amount of the time, to be perfectly honest.
As the 2023/2024 program year comes to an end this month, I see plenty of reasons to celebrate. Our weekly worship attendance continues to creep up as we slowly build our in-person worship numbers from the post-shutdown lows that we and every other church experienced.
